The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s Cancer Research Center announced today the selection of planning and project management teams to lead the effort in building a new multimillion-dollar cancer research facility in Kakaako.

The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, a state agency affiliated with the University, has selected Kobayashi Group, LLC, as the project management firm to oversee the design and construction of the planned research facility. Kobayashi Group, a successful real estate developer in Hawai‘i, will partner with Skyline Construction, a well-known designer and developer of research laboratories in the U.S.

Another state firm, Wilson Okamoto and Associates, has been selected to manage project planning. Specifically, it will coordinate the acquisition of necessary governmental entitlements and infrastructure planning. Wilson Okamoto was the planner for the UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, which is located adjacent to the new facility site. The project architect will be announced as soon as the contract negotiations are completed.

The announcement marks significant progress toward creating a world-class cancer research facility in Hawai’i. The project received a kick-start this fall with the appointment of new Center Director Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., and the convening of a steering committee by UH President M.R.C. Greenwood to expedite the development of the center.

“This is an important day for the people of our state, because we are one step closer to our vision of a state-of-the-art research center,” said President Greenwood. “It means that soon the people of Hawai‘i will have better options for cancer treatment and prevention.”

Construction of the new research facility is expected to begin in 2010. Early meetings of the planning and project management teams are expected to focus on issues such as the technical and spatial requirements and projected costs.

"All of us are gratified to see this project get under way because of its importance to the people of Hawai’i,” said UH Mānoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw. “As a cancer survivor myself, I respect the need for close collaboration between cancer researchers and clinical care providers. This is an exciting step forward in ensuring our Hawai’i citizens benefit from such collaborations.”

"I appreciate the university and community support in helping us reach this milestone,” said Dr. Carbone. “The design and project management teams we have assembled are well qualified to help us create a center whose impact on care, prevention and research will be recognized not only locally, but globally.”